Honour and Pride
by The Dream Whisperer
Summary: He had long hair in his youth, before he entered the Shinigami Academy.' 20 things about Ukitake Jyuushirou, with vague KyourakuUkitake hints. Fourth part of my Bleach universe.


**Honour and Pride – 20 Things about Ukitake Jyuushirou**

**Characters/Pairings:** Ukitake Jyuushirou, with vague Kyouraku/Ukitake hints  
**Rating:** PG  
**Words:** 951  
**Summary:** 'He had long hair in his youth, before he entered the Shinigami Academy.' Written for 20souls. Related to my other Bleach fics.

**1.**

It wasn't his illness that caused all of his hair to turn white, but the 'treatments' he had to endure for it.

He just tells people that lie to make them stop asking.

**2.**

Only Shunsui knew the truth.

**3.**

When his parents died, killed in action as Shinigami, Jyuushirou's first reaction was neither sorrow nor grief. It was a confusing mixture of heady, lightening feeling of relief, for the treatments will now stop, and the heavy weight of responsibility, for he has to take care of his siblings now.

He felt almost the same, and hated himself for it.

**4.**

He didn't want to be a Shinigami initially, but was told that it was traditional for an Ukitake of each generation to be one.

It was the first time he followed the rules instead of his heart, and it was also the last.

**5.**

Jyuushirou disliked Kyouraku at first sight, even though, generally, he likes people. There was just something about Kyouraku's lazy demeanor and womanizing ways that just rubbed him the wrong way. Still, Jyuushirou concealed his dislike, as he was prone to, whenever they met. He figured that they would go their separate ways after the Academy and never see each other again.

He never expected Shunsui to cling onto him like a leech, being there when Jyuushirou thought he wanted to be alone (when, in actuality, all he needed was a friend). Kyouraku offered fresh new insights that Jyuushirou had never heard of before, and felt unreasonably irritated because of that. Somehow or another, they ended up as friends.

Two millennia later, Jyuushirou still hadn't figured out just _how_ the two of them became best friends.

He decided that he was better off not knowing.

**6.**

He had long hair in his youth, before he entered the Shinigami Academy. But after being mistaken for a woman one too many times, he sheared it off himself.

He always regretted that,

He started growing his hair long again after gaining captaincy. He was still mistaken for a woman sometimes, but nobody had ever dared to comment on it. The sole exception was Shunsui, but Jyuushirou was starting to realize that the other man was an exception to _anything._

**7.**

He loved children, and dearly wanting some of his own, but Unohana-taichou and Kisuke had both told him that his disease was, quite possibly, hereditary, and so he never dared to have any.

He never stopped hoping, however.

**8.**

Jyuushirou was sometimes truly tempted to feign illness just to get out of paperwork when it became too overwhelming, but he had always stopped himself from doing it.

Kyouraku was decidedly a _bad_ influence.

**9.**

It was his private opinion that Shunsui and Kisuke both knew too much, and always dreaded the day that they decide to work together.

**10.**

Then he had off-handedly remarked that to Shunsui, and the other man choked on his sake.

After the coughing fit abated, he saluted Jyuushirou and told him that it was the best idea he had ever heard.

Jyuushirou knew, then, that he was _doomed_.

**11.**

The Thirteenth Division had the reputation for being the friendliest because Ukitake had never thought of his subordinates as such. He considered all of them, from Sentarou and Kiyone to the last seat, as his almost-children.

He considered Kaien to be his son.

**12.**

And Byakuya, as Kaien's best friend, was considered an honorary member of the Thirteenth Division and a favored nephew, though he never told the noble that. Though, sometimes, Jyuushirou was tempted, just to see what reaction he would get.

Kyouraku is _truly_ a bad influence.

**13.**

During _that night_, Jyuushirou had privately agreed with Rukia that life is far more important than pride, but he knew that Kaien valued pride above all else, and that his vice-captain will never forgive him if either Rukia or he interfered. And so he held Rukia back, held himself back as Kaien fought the Hollow, fighting a battle with himself not to rush forward to help.

After it was all over, he wondered if what he did was right, if being forgiven by Kaien was more important than Kaien's life.

**14.**

Then he saw Byakuya's hostile glares and hidden pain and hated himself more.

_I should have helped him. It was my fault that Kaien died._

**15.**

He knew there was _something_ going on between Sentarou and Kiyone beyond the squabbling and constant fighting.

He wondered when _they _would notice.

**16.**

Even though he knew he would never name his son 'Toushirou', Jyuushirou had always entertained the thought that, if things were different, Hitsugaya-taichou could have been his son.

**17.**

Even though he knew Byakuya had a reason for treating Rukia the way he did (the boy always had at least five reasons for every action. It must be an elite noble thing), Jyuushirou had to try very hard to restrain himself from slapping Byakuya when he walked away, seemingly uncaring about his sister's fate.

**18.**

When he heard about Hisana-san and Byakuya's vow to her and his oath to his parents, Jyuushirou muttered to himself that all Kuchuki's must be emotionally constipated and socially retarded. He included Rukia in that statement.

Shunsui agrees.

**19.**

Really he wouldn't have minded Sentarou and Kiyone's bonding (commonly known as _squabbling_) if not for the fact that they're so _loud_ about it.

**20.**

Jyuushirou had never consciously fed or denied the rumors about him and Shunsui sleeping together, but he thinks that it was only polite to throw the bettors little hints once in the while, since they spent so much effort.

Shunsui is _really_ a bad influence, but Jyuushirou wasn't sure if he minded any more.

_End_


End file.
